David White has been named dean of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Herbert College of Agriculture. White has been serving in the role of interim dean since the retirement of Caula Beyl in December 2022.
UT Institute of Agriculture Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver, along with UT Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick, announced the appointment Jan. 17 in a message to the campus community.
"Dave joins at a critical time in which agriculture, the state's number one economic driver, needs a workforce highly educated and dedicated to finding solutions to some of our state and world's greatest challenges," said Carver. "Dave is a phenomenal educator and leader. While I appreciate his level of commitment to the Herbert College of Agriculture, I am most impressed by his love of students."
Both Carver and Zomchick said White brings a wealth of experience, vision and understanding of the college's culture and mission.
"I'm excited to welcome Dr. White as the new dean of the Herbert College of Agriculture," said Zomchick. "He has a proven track record of visionary leadership, commitment to student success, and passion for advancing agricultural innovation that will undoubtedly elevate the college's impact on our community, state and beyond. I look forward to seeing the transformative work he will lead at UT."
A Growing College
In June 2018, Jim and Judi Herbert made a transformational gift to the university that led to the renaming of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to the Herbert College of Agriculture. The gift was one of the largest in the university's history.
With a record enrollment of 2,022 in fall 2024, the college boasts a 12-1 student-faculty ratio across a variety of programs, from agricultural and rural economics, leadership, animal and plant science, food science, biosystems engineering, construction science, soil science, and entomology and plant pathology to forestry and natural resources.
The college features more than 30 student organizations for professional and personal development and awards more than $1 million in scholarships annually. Most programs offer bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, and they all provide hands-on learning and opportunities for international studies.
Under White's leadership, applications to the college are on the rise, currently trending 23% higher than in 2024 as more students recognize the opportunities afforded through careers in agricultural sciences and natural resources.
White will be leading the college during its next phase of strategic growth.
"The Herbert College of Agriculture plays a key role in driving discovery and innovation by developing graduates who are highly sought after, connected with their communities and ready to change the world for the better," said White. "There has never been another time in history where what we do as a land-grant institution is more important than now. Our mission of teaching the next generation of Tennessee's problem solvers across agriculture, natural resources and construction sciences is delivering solutions to the numerous grand challenges we face as a state and a society. I'm honored to lead the college and thank Dr. Carver and Dr. Zomchick for their support."
White has a broad background in agricultural studies and holds a Ph.D. in veterinary sciences and veterinary clinical sciences from Pennsylvania State University as well as a Master of Science from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Vermont. His dissertation, "Genetic diversity and clonal relationships among pathogenic strains of avian Escherichia coli," remains relevant to current food and animal disease challenges.
White holds tenure as a professor of food science. He took on the role of interim head of the college's Department of Food Science in 2019 after serving as associate dean for UT AgResearch. White's full profile is available online.